Good Byes Aren't Forever
by OctaBear
Summary: "C-can I ask you're name?" she stumbled over the words and mentally slapped herself, imagining how foolish she must seem to him. He seemed so cool, leaning against the door, gazing down at her. "Link." he kept her gaze as he said it, searching her eyes for anything, anything to show she remembered. "I'll always wait for you Link." she whispered. -OneShot


** I DO NOT OWN LEGEND OF ZELDA**

**The art is and isn't mine. I drew it and colored it, but I got the idea from the internet.**

**Credit to - "Sherlocked" for the idea.**

**Good Byes Aren't Forever**

**My cat is being so annoying right now. D: She wants love.**

**I have a LOT of ideas for one-shots.. Baby steps?**

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**Memories Are Forever**

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No matter what had happened he was always there for her, and now here he was again, leaning against the tavern door as she fretted over the sick Zora boy.

His expression hadn't faltered and wouldn't as he stared at the girl, blonde hair in her face as she sat in a straight back chair, leaning over the Zora child.

He found himself lost in his thoughts, thinking of what he had endured to get here, to get to her.

* * *

Link wiped the sweat away that was beginning to form on his brow. The monkeys had been helpful getting across the large chasm in the floor, and now he stood facing the boss. The disgusting creature stood in the water, re-cooperating after a explosive had brought down his last remaining mouth, Link found himself backed up against a dirt packed wall, waiting for the baboon to bring him another explosive barrel. Where was the baboon anyway? His eyes searched frantically around the dim cavern for the brightly colored butt that belonged solely to the baboon.

At last, he heard the baboons ear piercing screeching as he swung across the cave with a barrel of gunpowder between his legs.

Link readied his boomerang to grab the barrel from the primate as it made it's way across the room, his muscles tightened in anticipation, would this hit finish off the monster that stood before him, looming over his head in the murky water? He would find out soon enough.

He felt the boomerang fly out of his fingerless leather gloves as it flew towards the baboon and it's burden, he watched as the boomerang swept up the barrel and headed straight towards the eye of the beast. He took his sword out of it's scabbard and tensed, ready to jump at the beast when it fell.

The explosion was probably the strongest one yet, it's force brought the beast to it's metaphorical knees.

Link lunged for the eye flopping like a beached fish on the cold stone floor. He ran forwards, his sword gripped in his right hand, he jumped and landed a killing blow to the eyeball. Midna took this opportunity to appear and yell at him for taking so long to finish off the beast.

"I could have finished it off in seconds." she said crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at the young man that stood before her, she respected his strength, though she would never admit it.

Link emitted a small grunt of acknowledgment to his companion, he wouldn't speak again, not until he found Ilia and the others. He made the resolution in his mind and was determined to keep it.

* * *

Link felt eyes on him as he leaned against the Tavern door, waiting to speak to whomever was in charge. His blue eyes shifted around the room, interested to find where the feeling was coming from, sure enough, he found his answer. Every girl from thirteen to mid thirty's was staring at Link, scrutinizing his face, his muscles, every girl except one. The one he craved attention from the most, the girl busy with the Zora boy.

He watched her intently, like the twilight creatures had watched him during his travels. Except his gaze differed from that of the creatures. His was filled with warmth and curiosity, longing one might call it.

Eventually Link took out his master sword and began to sharpen it, going against the grain for the best results.

The girl shifted in her chair and got up, she glanced around the room, as if looking for someone, that's when she saw the handsome young man, leaning against the tavern door, sharpening a sword on a well used whetstone. Something about him seemed familiar and welcoming, she wanted to know him, yet it felt like she already did.

Ilia crossed the room tentatively at first, than more confident as she began to close distance between herself and the boy. She fingered the horse charm hanging from her wrist with her other hand, it had been her only sense of security since she had arrived in Hyrule, and now, she needed it more than ever.

Just as she was about to talk to the talk to the stranger, the doctor who had refused to help the Zora boy cut in front of her and began talking to the blonde boy.

She got up the nerve to listen to the conversation, the doctor had been talking frequently, the boy politely nodding in response.

"Not much of a talker, eh?" she heard the doctor laugh.

The boys expression remained the same, like it was engraved in stone. He nodded, but Ilia could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.

Eventually, much to Ilia's relief, the doctor walked away and began to talk to people among the tavern.

She quickly closed the distance between her and the boy. She cleared her throat out of sheer nervousness for what she was about to say, why is she so afraid to speak to this boy.

The boy looked up from sharpening his sword, carefully he sheathed it and stored the whetstone in his leather bag at his hip.

He wasn't standing up straight, yet he still was taller than Ilia even while she stood as tall as she could manage. His misty blue eyes looked down at her, a nice contrast to his tanned face.

"C-can I ask you're name?" she stumbled over the words and mentally slapped herself, imagining how foolish she must seem to him.

He seemed so cool, leaning against the door, gazing down at her.

Something inside of Link threatened to break. She doesn't remember me..

"Link." he kept her gaze as he said it, searching her eyes for anything, anything to show she remembered.

"..Link." she tried the name, it sounded so familiar to her. "It's a nice name. Is there a reason for you being in Hyrule?" she asked out of curiosity.

For a split second, the expression on his tan face changed, than he returned to his guarded look.

"Business matters." his eyes shifted down to the horse charm around her wrist. That must have been what Ilia had wanted to give to him the day he was supposed to leave for Hyrule.

She noticed him staring and took off the charm, "Do you like it?" she laughed slightly.

"Yeah.." he paused "It reminds me of my horse, Epona." A slight smile came to his face, but was quickly replaced with the guarded expression once again.

"Epona.. That's a nice name. I bet shes real pretty." Ilia felt something stir inside her and was overwhelmed with memories, her and this boy, playing in the field. Her riding on Epona for the first time. Her thoughts were interrupted by his next sentence.

"I have to be going. Goodbye, Ilia."

Ilia, he knew her name, she hadn't told him it. Link had known her name without being told.

A remote corner of her brain where her memories had been, had been out of reach until now. Until Link had come along and said her name.

"Link, wait."

He was already out the door. She ran out after him, he was heading towards the town gates, getting farther and farther away as he walked around a corner and out of sight.

She ran after him, down the cobbled streets, past countless strange faces, out of the town gate until she found him. He was about to get on a brown horse, Epona, Ilia recalled.

Dusk was begging to settle on the kingdom of Hyrule as Ilia and Link faced each other.

"Link, don't go. Don't leave me again." she begged, recalling all the dangerous adventures he would go on, and how worried she would be for him. Wondering if it would be the last time she saw his unfairly handsome face.

Right now, his unfairly handsome face was in shock. She remembered him all of a sudden.

"Link, don't go." she begged again, she remembered when he would leave for his dangerous adventures, sometimes not even saying good bye.

She remembered him wrestling goats to the ground when they escaped the farm. She remembered how they would hang out with each other almost everyday. Whether is was talking, riding Epona or just enjoying each others company, he was always there for her. And now, she needed him more than ever.

Link walked over to her. "You remember? You remembered everything?"

Link's guard was down now, he was too excited.

"I only have memories of you," she paused "and Epona."

"Oh." he looked down.

"I remembered all the fun we had as kids. Like the first time I rode on Epona."

"You fell off." he interjected.

She made a slight pout "But I got back on."

She looked him over in the setting sun. Tall, tan, muscular. His tunic was a faded green, underneath a white shirt. It was tight around his biceps, proving that he had gotten stronger. Link had always been strong, but his journeys had obviously been tough.

How much had he given up to save her? How many sleepless nights had he had, fighting with twilight creatures. How much of his blood had been spilled trying to rescue her and the others. She was thinking of the answers when he interrupted.

"I really do need to go." his expression was on guard again. His thoughts barricaded up to everyone but himself.

"You have a world to save." It seemed cool in her mind when she had thought of the words, but as they came out, they sounded as corny as possible.

She fingered the horse charm again and remembered something. "Link, I made this for you the day before you were supposed to go on you're trip." she took off the bracelet.

He took it, his fingers, hard, yet soft, brushed against hers. "Thanks."

Still that guarded expression. "It's like horse grass, but it's always with you, so you can call Epona whenever you need."

He looked at it carefully, and than put it into his leather side pouch.

He walked over to Epona, ready to mount her.

"Link.." the word escaped her lips without her consent, and before she knew it, she was walking towards her friend.

Her arms slowly wrapped around his toned stomach, and she found her self resting her head on his chest. He felt stiff underneath her touch, like a statue. It wasn't until he felt his tunic begging to get wet from tears did he relax some and hug her back. His arms wrapped around her, bringing her in closer, consoling her the best way her could right now.

"Link, don't leave me, not again."

"Ilia, like you said, I have a world to save, or at least a kingdom."

She grabbed his tunic in her hands, "I just got you back though. And now I'm losing you already."

He backed up some to look her in the eye. "No matter where you are, I will always find you. Just remember that." He backed up some more.

Ilia stood there, watching her friend mount Epona, and watched him ride off. Off on another brave and dangerous adventure.

"I'll always wait for you Link." she whispered.

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**So, I'm not dead to my other readers... I have just been grounded. I'm a bad girl D:**

**So... It's a one-shot. Woo?**


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